The Webster Residence: an Accessible Home

05/01/2018

For David Gray Construction, the Webster Residence project presented some serious challenges, starting with the home's location on a steep bluff.

Geotech Consultants began by conducting a variety of studies of the site, including a natural resources inventory and review of the site development plan, which resulted in a protection and maintenance plan for priority natural resources during construction, along with a plan for preserving natural water and drainage features. All trees on the site were preserved and a certified arborist performed all pruning.

David Gray devoted equal care to reduce the home's energy use, starting with staggered-stud framing and BIB insulation. The space heating is hydronic radiant, produced using a Daikin Altherma air-to-water heat pump plus an evacuated-tube solar hot water system. A Lifebreath heat recovery ventilator ensures a steady supply of pre-conditioned fresh air. The radiant heating also improves the home's indoor air quality compared to a forced-air system, as does the total absence of carpet. To reduce the possibility of moisture problems caused by plumbing leaks, all distribution lines were kept out of exterior walls.

Another challenge was to maximize the mobility of one of the homeowners, who uses a wheelchair. The front and garage entries are both stepless, as are all exterior grade changes. Both the guest and master bathrooms are fully accessible, and all doorways are at least 2-feet-10 wide. The home also features an elevator.

Thanks to careful planning and detailed execution of every aspect of this project, the Websters are now able to enjoy a beautiful home that fully meets their needs.

Built Green Highlights

Site and Water

Measures to protect critical area/steep slope, including:

Natural resources inventory by a qualified professional.

Third-party review of the site development plan for critical areas and habitat protection.

Protection and maintenance plan for priority natural resources during construction.

You May Also Like

The time has come: Built Green is rolling out checklist updates! What are these, why do we do them, and what do you need to know to keep your projects current? Read on to get all of the answers.

What are the changes?

There are two checklist updates being rolled out right now. One is updating the single-family/townhome checklist to reflect the newest state energy code. The only changes pertain to the energy requirements. The other is a complete revamp of the multi-family checklist. View the updated checklists.

How do I keep up with these changes?

For both checklists, Built Green has enrollment deadlines: if you enroll a project after a certain date, the updated checklist must be used. Prior to that date, a builder can decide whether to use the old or updated version of the checklist. We set these enrollment deadlines in the future so designers and builders have time to adjust and so that plans that have already been made based on the older version of the checklist don’t have to be scrapped. Make sure you get your projects enrolled! Here are the dates to know:

Single-family/townhome checklist enrollment date: Aug. 1, 2017

Multi-family checklist enrollment date: Oct. 1, 2017

Again, all projects enrolled with Built Green after these dates will have to use the updated checklists!

We also have certification deadlines for projects using the older checklist versions to ensure that projects are certified in a timely manner, under the relevant checklist. Here are the certification deadlines:

Certification packets for projects received by Built Green after these dates will have to use the updated checklist, irrespective of their enrollment date. Multi-family projects are given more time to certify under the old checklist due to the longer timeframe these projects generally require due to their size and complexity.

Built Green will be sending out plenty of reminders as these various deadlines approach. Please pay attention to these communications!

Homes in the Issaquah Highlands, most of which were built under the previous two iterations of the Built Green single-family checklist.

Why do you update the checklists?

Built Green is a relative certification system; projects are judged based on the building environment and code at any given time. Checklist updates take into account code changes, how widespread processes and products have become, new technologies, and current costs. For example, our checklists require that projects are modelled to demonstrate a certain percentage of energy efficiency compared to current code. As code updates, so must Built Green checklists. Otherwise, Built Green certification would lose its meaning as code requirements caught up with the program. The aim of this voluntary certification is to recognize builders who go above and beyond, after all!

This means that a 4-Star project certified in 2007 isn’t the same as a 4-Star project certified in 2017 in terms of environmental rigor when compared with each other, but that the cost and effort needed to complete each project given the context of its time was roughly the same. This relative grading system also means that Built Green provides builders with a framework to improve their product over time. A builder that commits to only building 5-Star homes will have to constantly innovate and adapt to continue to achieve this star-level over the years as the rating gets more rigorous over time. But this means that Built Green is helping to spur adoption of new technologies and techniques, and that builders who are dedicated to staying ahead of the curve are supported and rewarded for their endeavors!

How do you update the checklists?

We don’t do any of this alone. In fact, we heavily rely on the generosity of many different industry experts who support the program. This ensures that a variety of perspectives contribute to the checklist updates.

Since this single-family/townhome checklist update was only regarding the energy requirements, we worked with energy modeling experts and third-party verifiers to ensure that our new modeling protocol is robust and that the updated requirements strike the balance of being challenging without being too onerous. We worked with other local Built Green programs in different parts of the state to make sure that the various star-levels on offer also correspond with local markets and incentives available for energy efficiency, so Built Green builders can more easily demonstrate their projects qualify.

To update the multi-family checklist, we worked with a committee consisting of representatives from the public sector, consultants on green building, third-party verifiers, energy modelers, and builders. This team spent a year taking the checklist to the next level!

What else do I need to know?

Just a couple of things! First, the corresponding multi-family handbook update is forthcoming and will be published soon. It will be available online, for free, as a PDF. Second, it is important to discuss these updates with your third-party verifier to make sure you are on the same page about the transition and deadlines that you have to meet for current and upcoming projects. Finally, we know that—though necessary—these transition periods can be a bit confusing and hectic. Don’t worry! Built Green staff and third-party verifiers are available if you have questions, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

Now, let’s keep working to make the green building industry better every day!

By Zoe Ludwig, Built Green Intern | This is part three in a three-part series. Read parts one and two.

How is Built Green a Part of the Solution?

Built Green is committed to all types of sustainability, including but not limited to environmental sustainability. In addition to working with local governments on green construction, Built Green also supports affordable housing and sustainable zoning practices. Built Green certification is granted through the use of a checklist, in which points are assigned to grade the “green-ness” of a home, including the location of the home. Built Green builder member companies can do their part and earn checklist points in the following ways:

Single-Family Checklist

Locate site within one of the Urban Growth Area (UGA) designated areas (five points)

Many of these checklist items are regarding accessible transportation or community services. Enhancing these elements of home ownership and rentals can help end the stigma surrounding “dense” building by focusing on the positive aspects of community. Through our checklists, Built Green supports sustainable community on a project-by-project basis. We also actively participate in the discussion of how our region can be both greener and more inclusive, including at this year’s Built Green Conference.

“If you’re the quintessential suburbanite, density’s a swear word, if you’re an urbanist, it’s a buzzword,” says Branden Born of the University of Washington via The Seattle Times. Those who oppose denser building typically argue that it rids a neighborhood of its charm. But skyscrapers and towering apartment buildings aren’t the only ways to create more dense housing. For example, ADUs and DADUs (attached and detached mother-in-law units), duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes are great alternatives to the stereotypical approaches. Built Green is excited to have not only certified some of these building types, but to support the housing flexibility they bring. Still, these solutions require more inclusive zoning laws from the city. Check out more about how the ‘quintessential Seattle block’ can uphold charm and density.

The American Dream may still be alive and well, but it is dependent on people adopting an attitude of sustainable living. Now, the American dream is owning or renting a place that is comfortable for you. It’s waking up in the morning, walking a quarter mile or a half a mile to your bus stop. It’s coming home from work and saying hello to your neighbor in the grocery store in the downstairs level of your building. It’s knowing that your kids can have access to a good education, regardless of their zip code. We can learn from the shortcomings of those here before us and make this dream a possibility for all. Together, we can make living in the city more affordable, keep community sacred, and create a more united Puget Sound region.

We want to send out a big thank you to those who attended the Built Green Conference on September 13! What an invigorating, inspiring, thought-provoking day it was! With many builders and policymakers in attendance, as well as elected officials, consultants, vendors, architects, nonprofit staff, real estate agents, and students, we had a great opportunity to discuss and learn about issues impacting our region through a green building lens.

A key takeaway was the interconnectivity of many issues, as green building relates to the environment, healthy communities, workforce development, equity, and more. After all, Built Green supports green building because of the positive impacts it spurs for the planet and for people.

Keynote speaker Vien Truong began the day by relaying her inspiring story. Truong illuminated the link between environmental issues and the impacts they have, particularly on poorer communities. She also emphasized that everyone deserves healthy homes and communities, free of pollution, and that “being green isn’t partisan”—it’s the right thing to do. Her address left many moved and even prompted a question from the audience about whether she would run for president!

Following the keynote, the day was filled with educational sessions. Conference-goers had the opportunity to attend sessions from four different tracks: Greening Construction, Building Innovations, Advancing Policy, and Bettering Community. Session topics ranged from embodied carbon, prefab building, and deconstruction to displacement, a mayors’ panel, and how to get involved in code development. The excellent content variety ensured there was something for attendees from all sectors.

The day ended with a reception and awards ceremony. Some of the best projects from the past year were highlighted and Built Green supporters were recognized for their contributions to the program. Surprise awards included builder TC Legend Homes winning Project of the Year for their West Seattle Emerald Star home. Tadashi Shiga of Evergreen Certified and zHome residents Bryan Bell and Karin Weekly were also recognized as Built Green Pioneers for their advocacy. The Green Genius Awards were also announced, recognizing real estate agents and offices for their efforts in listing and selling green homes.

Throughout the day, conference attendees kept up conversation using the hashtag #builtgreen18 and connections were made both online and face-to-face. Several sessions were also livestreamed and can be found on our Facebook page.

We hope everyone who came to the conference learned something and walked away feeling inspired. See you next year!